Performance of a Multiplex Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction in Detecting 7 Pathogens Containing DNA in Their Genomes Associated With Congenital Infections.

Context.—: Infections are the leading cause of perinatal and infant mortality in low-income and low-resource countries, which have a higher prevalence of infections. Definitive diagnosis of congenital and perinatal infections is largely dependent upon the results of laboratory tests.

Assessment and comparison of bacterial load levels determined by quantitative amplifications in blood culture-positive and negative neonatal sepsis.

Bacterial sepsis remains a major cause of mortality and blood cultures are the gold standard of laboratory diagnosis even though they lack sensitivity in neonates. Culturenegative sepsis, also known as clinical sepsis, has long been considered a diagnosis in neonatal intensive care units because, as well as culture-positive infants, culture-negative neonates have worse prognosis in comparison with non-infected ones. Quantitative amplifications are used to detect bacterial infections in neonates but results are considered only in a qualitative way (positive or negative).

Association of Parasite Load Levels in Amniotic Fluid With Clinical Outcome in Congenital Toxoplasmosis.

Objective: To correlate neonatal and infant clinical outcome with parasite load in amniotic fluid (AF).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 122 children whose mothers had toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. The children were monitored from birth to 12 months old.

PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE PUTATIVE ASSOCIATION OF IL10 -3575 T/A GENETIC POLYMORPHISM WITH MALARIA SYMPTOMS.

Only a small percentage of individuals living in endemic areas develop severe malaria suggesting that host genetic factors may play a key role. This study has determined the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in some pro and anti-inflammatory cytokine gene sequences: IL6 (-174; rs1800795), IL12p40 (+1188; rs3212227), IL4 (+33; rs2070874), IL10 (-3575; rs1800890) and TGFb1 (+869; rs1800470), by means of PCR-RFLP. Blood samples were collected from 104 symptomatic and 37 asymptomatic subjects.

HLA-DQA1/B1 alleles as putative susceptibility markers in congenital toxoplasmosis.

Host and parasite genotypes are among the factors associated with congenital toxoplasmosis pathogenesis. As HLA class II molecules play a key role in the immune system regulation, the aim of this study was to investigate whether HLA-DQA1/B1 alleles are associated with susceptibility or protection to congenital toxoplasmosis. One hundred and twenty-two fetuses with and 103 without toxoplasmosis were studied.

Usefulness of a 16S rDNA real-time PCR to monitor neonatal sepsis and to assist in medical decision to discontinue antibiotics.

Objective: To monitor the bacterial load in newborns with proven infections on the day of admission, 48 h and 7 days after treatment.

Methods: Real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting the 16S rDNA.

Results: The study recruited 17 newborns and the bacterial load was in general low (<50 CFU/mL).

The performance of four molecular methods for the laboratory diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis in amniotic fluid samples.

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis may be life-threatening in fetuses and in immune-deficient patients. Conventional laboratory diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is based on the presence of IgM and IgG anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies; however, molecular techniques have emerged as alternative tools due to their increased sensitivity. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of 4 PCR-based methods for the laboratory diagnosis of toxoplasmosis.